What Is Carne Asada?
Carne asada is a Mexican steak dish that is marinated, grilled or seared, and then sliced. It literally translates to “grilled meat” or “roast meat” in Spanish. It’s often used as a component of other Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos, tortas, or even salads. This carne asada marinade is loaded with classic Mexican flavors like lime, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, and cumin. It reminds me a little bit of chimichurri sauce, but with bolder undertones. After marinating, I’ll show you how to make carne asada meat on the grill or on the stovetop, with minimal effort. It feels like summer on a plate!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for carne asada steak, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
Selecting Your Steak:
The best meat for carne asada recipes would be flank steak or skirt steak. These cuts of beef have the perfect characteristics for this cooking method:
Relatively lean – Lean meat does the best job of absorbing the flavors of the marinade. Good marbling – We want lean but not too lean. Marbling makes for a juicy, tender, and flavorful steak. Thin – This means the steak cooks quickly and evenly, absorbs the marinade well, and has plenty of surface area to form a crust on the outside.
That being said, if you have sirloin steak on hand, that will work as well. It will just take longer to cook and takes on less of the carne asada marinade flavor.
Carne Asada Marinade:
Carne asada marinade recipe comes together in just a few minutes, with fresh, simple ingredients:
Olive Oil – You can also use other heat-safe cooking oils, such as avocado oil. Lime Juice – The acidity from lime juice not only adds flavor, it also helps to break down tough muscle fibers, making the meat more tender and allowing the marinade to penetrate deeper. You could also use lemon juice instead. While bottled versions work, fresh juice tastes best here. Jalapeno – Mince them finely. You can leave the seeds in the marinade for a little heat, or remove them for milder result. I recommend wearing gloves when you cut the pepper, so none of its oils will burn your hands (or eyes)! Garlic – I used fresh garlic, but you can substitute 2 teaspoons of jarred minced garlic instead. Fresh Cilantro – Adds a bright and fresh flavor to make the best carne asada marinade in my book. You can use other fresh herbs here if you’re not a cilantro fan. Spices – My version keeps it simple with just cumin, sea salt, and black pepper, but see variations below. Sea Salt & Black Pepper
How To Make Carne Asada
This section shows how to cook carne asada on the grill or stovetop, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card. Chili powder, coriander, oregano, and paprika (or smoked paprika) all make nice additions for additional flavor and aroma.
Cook Time Chart
Grilling carne asada and cooking it in a cast iron skillet (or grill pan) on the stovetop both take about the same amount of time. Typically, this cut is cooked to medium-rare, but you can choose your desired doneness. These times are based on 1-inch-thick steaks: The cook exact time will vary depending on the thickness of your steak, and the internal temperature will rise 5 more degrees higher than the above temps while resting. Your grill can also have an impact — the heat from gas grills (which I used to test this recipe) is not as intense as a charcoal grill, so carne asada might cook a bit more quickly on a charcoal grill.
Storage Instructions
Store: Wrap leftovers tightly in a plastic wrap or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Meal prep: Make the marinade in the morning or mid day and let the steak marinate until it’s time for dinner. If you want to prep it further ahead than the 12 hours, you can mix the marinade ahead but only add the steak 2-12 hours before cooking. Reheat: Wrap the meat in aluminum foil and place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, until warm. Freeze: Wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap, and place in a freezer bag or an airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
What To Serve With Carne Asada Recipes
Traditionally, this meat is served as a component of a meal, but you can really go in so many directions with it: Not all carne asada recipes are created equal. With some simple tips, you can ensure you end up with the juiciest, most flavorful steak possible! Here are a few tips for making it perfect:
Marinate for no longer than 12 hours. I recommend anywhere from 2-12 hours, but no longer as you don’t want to end up with mushy meat. Bring your steak to room temperature before cooking. Remove your steak from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking. This makes it cook more evenly, but you can skip this step if you forget. Cook over medium-high heat. A blast of heat makes the carne asada cook fast, which translates to a nice outer crust (yes please!) and ensures that the inside doesn’t overcook (no thanks!). Use a meat thermometer. A probe thermometer is my favorite because I don’t have to monitor it and it beeps when the steak is ready, but a regular meat thermometer works as well. If you have neither, use the time chart above. Let it rest. Don’t forget to rest the steak after cooking! This is important because it lets the juices redistribute in the meat for a juicy result. Slice against the grain. For a more tender meat, slice the carne asada against the direction of the muscle fibers. This will help break down the muscle fibers and make each bite more tender.
Tacos – Make carne asada tacos with corn tortillas, flour tortillas, fresh jicama tortillas, healthy cauliflower tortillas, or even grain-free almond flour tortillas. For the fixings, try avocado (or guacamole), shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, chimichurri sauce, and fresh tomato salsa (or avocado salsa verde). Greens – Serve the steak over a bed of greens with fresh veggies, like tomatoes and avocado. You can also replace the meat in taco salad with carne asada instead. Lettuce Wraps – If you want to avoid tortillas altogether, stuff the carne asada and your favorite fixings into lettuce leaves instead. Carne Asada Fries – Make fries using your favorite method, then top them with the sliced steak, guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream. You can also use the same toppings over air fryer sweet potatoes. Nachos – Make homemade nachos with shredded lettuce, onion, olives, fresh tomato salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or slow cooker queso. Carne Asada Burritos – Tuck the fixings suggested above into burritos along with rice (or cauliflower rice), or add it to a healthy burrito bowl. Sides – Pair this Mexican dish with a side of black bean soup (or plain beans), Elote, or cilantro lime cauliflower rice.
More Easy Mexican Recipes
Mexican-inspired meals are my fave because they’re so fast, easy, and fresh! Try these next: Please enter your first name for your account. Your saved recipe will also be sent to your email. 📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Ebook Bundle!
